An Alberta man has been fined $7,500 for attempting to smuggle over-capacity gun magazines over the U.S.-Canada border in Osoyoos, B.C. late last year.
Joby Stuart Bishop, of Carbon, Alta., pleaded guilty to one count of smuggling under the federal Customs Act, the Canada Border Services Agency said in a news release Thursday.
The charge stemmed from Bishop's arrival at the Osoyoos port of entry on Dec. 28, 2022, according to the CBSA.
Bishop was referred for "secondary examination," during which officers discovered three prohibited over-capacity magazines in his possession, the CBSA said.
He was arrested and an investigation was launched.
Bishop entered his guilty plea on Oct. 5 in Penticton provincial court, according to the CBSA. In addition to the fine, he was also issued a two-year firearms prohibition.
“CBSA officers at the Osoyoos border crossing and our criminal investigators work hard to keep our communities safe," said Derek Watson, director of the CBSA's Okanagan and Kootenay District, in the news release.
"Over-capacity gun magazines are now off the streets, and the accused has been held accountable.”
The CBSA says it seized more than 1,100 firearms and 24,400 prohibited weapons in 2022.
The agency reminds the public that it's a traveller's responsibility to learn the rules around bringing firearms and other weapons into Canada.
"Firearms that are not properly declared, and the vehicles used to carry them, may be seized by the CBSA," the agency's release reads.
Lists of restricted and prohibited goods – including firearms – can be found on the CBSA's website.
